Shower head



Aug 31, 1954 R. E. BLETCHER ETAL 2,687,917

SHOWER HEAD Filed April 23, 1951 @Uve/V616 Patented Aug. 31, 1954 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE SHOWER HEAD Application April 23, 1951, Serial No.222,468

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a new and useful shower head.

The principal object of this invention is to convert a stream ofrelatively high velocity water into a shower of finely divided andrelatively low velocity water suitable for use in a shower bath or thelike.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a shower head whichwill produce a shower consisting principally of droplets of water asdistinguished from streams or jets of water produced in the ordinaryshower head.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a shower headwherein the discharge spray has a major axis and a minor axis, therebyrendering the shower head particularly adaptable for use in a bathtub orother installation. This is accomplished by providing a discharge spray,a cross section of which is approximately elliptical in shape andwherein the major axis is substantially larger than the minor axis.

The preferred embodiment of this invention contemplates a housingprovided with a restricted throat and a plug member adapted to beinserted into said throat, means forming water passages to form anddirect converging streams of water to said housing below said restrictedthroat and means for discharging water from the housing after theconverging streams of water have contacted each other.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparentfrom the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of the shower head embodying this inventionattached to the water supply pipe.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2. 4

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a side elevation in section of a modied form of thisinvention.

Figure 7 is a plan view taken along the vline 'I-l of Figure 6.

The shower head is formed by a housing I0 which is preferablycylindrical externally and threaded as at I2 at its upper extremity toadapt the shower head to be screwed into the retaining nut I 4 providedat the extremity of the water supply pipe I6 to which water is suppliedunder pressure. l A transverse web I8 is provided inside the housing I0forming a restricted throat 20 and dividing the housing into an upperchamber 24 and a lower chamber 28. A plug valve 22 is inserted into theupper chamber 24, the lower extremity 26 of the plug valve 22 beingadapted to t into the restricted throat 20, thereby preventing the ow ofwater from the upper chamber 24 to the lower chamber 28.

To permit passage of water by the plug valve 22 and into the lowerchamber 28, a pair of recesses are provided, either in the plug valve orin the web to form water passages. In this particular embodiment thesewater passages 30 and 32 are formed by recessing the web I8. Thus whenthe removable plug valve 2G is inserted into the upper chamber 24 sothat it projects into the restricted throat 20, water will flow frompipe IS into chamber 24 about the plug valve 22 and through the waterpassages 30 and 32 in the form of convergingstreams emptying into thelower chamber 28. For reasons hereinafter described, it is preferredthat the streams of water discharged through passages 30 and 32 bedirected towards one another and that these streams be of substantiallythe same volume and velocity. The same volume in these two streams isinsured by providing ribs 34 formed in the wall of the upper chamber 24.These ribs are preferably positioned so that one of them will fall oneach side of the passages 30 and 32 and so that the ribs falling on eachside of these passages are equally spaced from the adjacent passage. Theplug valve 20 is provided, in this embodiment, with a lip 36 at itsupper extremity. The diameter of the lip corresponds approximately tothe diameter of the space formed between the ribs 34. This lip 36functions to insure a central location of the plug 20 and an equalspacing from the inner wall of the housing I0 all about the periphery ofthe plug 2D. Thus water entering the upper chamber 24 is directedbetween the ribs 36 into the opposed water passages 30 and 32 in equalquantities.

The lower extremity of the plug valve 26 is tapered or beveled as at 38,this tapered portion projecting a substantial distance above the web I8when the lower extremity of the plug valve 26 projects intotherestricted throat 20. The web I8 is preferably beveled at its upperside to receive the tapered portion 38 of the plug valve and to providea suitable seat for said plug valve.

The recesses in the web I8 forming water passages 30 and 32 are at anangle with respect to the axis of the housing so that the bottom of therecess provides a surface substantially parallel to the beveled portion38, of th'eplug 26.'` I'hese recesses should 'also be `suicientlyl deep`to assure` continuous iiow from the chamber 24 through the passages 30and 32 into the lower chamber 28..' The water passages 30 and 32, inthis embodimenm..

are positioned exactly opposite one another on opposed sides of thecentralaaxisoffthe showerY head and are of the same size. Thus thestreams walls44 and 46, and end walls 48 and 50 ,winch extendfrom thewebjl lto .the.,dischargeopening,A

and 32 meet, the water is deilected Vonto the side. walls 44 and 46 andsome of 'which water follows the surface of the side wallsvtothedischarge. opening 42; other particlesof'the,Water strike,v

the` side walls 4.4fand,'46 and are deectedinwardly, thereby, lling thedischarge spray. As.v the water pressure inthe pipe IG is increased,theY volume .of water `and 'thevelocity of the streams are increased,the greater amount of water-being deflected onto theside walls 44.and46.. The water.

tends vto spreadoutall along the sidewallsy 44 and 46, .therebyenlarging the discharge showen; giving the discharge shower a majoraxis, andjaV minor axis.v As.- this filmof water spreads outwardly onthe side walls. it approaches the end;

walls 48 and 50, therebyenlarging the discharge. shower. At one waterpressure the outer extremity of the films of water on the side Wallswill pass around the curved. edges` of the end walls 48 and 5and will.join` with one another. This creates a considerable turbulence, whichcanbe eliminated byk ribs 52 and 54 'which are formed` in the endwalls..48 and, 50 adjacent the. discharge. These ribs function to divertthe` opening 42. sheets of water at their outer extremity into thecentral part of the discharge shower. Itis readily' apparent that thecharacter of the. discharge shower is substantially controlled by therelative,

lengths of the walls 44and '45 and the Yend-walls 48 and 5D. Byelongating the walls 44 and'46, the'V majoraxis'of the discharge showeris increased;

similarly by increasing the endA walls 48 `and 50 the minor axis of thedischargeshower is in*- creased.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7', wherein a modified form of thisinvention isV illustrated and' wherein like partsI are given the samenumerical'v designation as in the principalembodiment, the

only difference between the mod-ined form and' the principal embodimentlifes in the provision of arcuate bevels formed in the side walls 44 and46. These bevels 56`and58 are preferably formed in the side walls 44yand li'of 'chamber` 28 at a posi'- tion substantially above thedischarge opening-'42.'

Thepurpose of these bevels is to alter the shape housing I0, due tothese bevels, the more circular in: formY the discharge shower becomes.

The operation of these` shower heads is as follows. Water is deliveredat pressure through the supply pipe I6 to the upper chamber 24. The

water Vthen passes between the ribs 34 around the plug valve 2G andthrough the water passages 3D and 32. The twodischarge streams aredirected by vthe passages 3B, 32 towards one another. When the twostreams, which are of approximately the same volume and velocity meet, alargeportion of the water is deflected onto side walls 44 and 4B.. Thewater then passes down the side walls and is discharged. As the waterpressure isincreased, the area of the side walls onto which the water isdeflected increases and the discharge shower enlarged. By varying thedepth of the-water passages 3U and 32, the shower can be changed from avery fine mist, in the case of extremely shallow passages, to heavydrops, in the case of deep` passages. However,l the shower produced bythis shower head is. soft in character and does noty produce streams orjetsv of water as does the conventional shower head.

The` plug valve 22 is preferably removably retained in chamber 24 andforeign matter which collects in chamber 24 may be ushed by pushing theplug 22 upward.

While the above description is of the preferred embodiment of thisinvention, it is readily apparent that changes in the size, shape andformation of the elements can be resorted to without departf ing fromvthe scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

LA shower head comprising: a housing provided with a web forming arestricted throat, movable plug means to control iiow through saidthroat held in said throat by the weight of the plug,V converging waterpassages formed between said web andl said plug means directing flow ofwater into the lower portion of said housing from which water isdischarged in the formvofI a shower comprising a plurality of dropletsof water similar to raindrops.

2. A'shower head comprising: a housing p rovided with a web forming arestricted throat, movable plug means adapted to be inserted, into saidthroat held in said'throat by the weight of the plug, water passagesformed between said web and said plug means to direct flow of water intostreams which converge in the lower portion of the housing frornnwhichwater is .discharged in the form of 'a shower comprising a plurality ofdroplets of water similar to raindrops.

3. Ashower head comprising: a housing provided with va web forming a,vrestricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers.movable` plug means adaptedA to be inserted into said throat held insaid throat by the weight of the, plug, means forming water passagesbetween said web and said plug means shower comprising a plurality ofdroplets of water similar to raindrops.

4. A shower head comprising:l a housingprovided with a web forming arestricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers,plug means adapted to be inserted into said throat, means forming waterpassages between said web and said plug means, said water passagescommunicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing anddirecting ow of water into streams which converge in the lower chamberof said housing, and ribs in said upper chamber to center said plugmeans and direct an equal volume or water into each of said waterpassages.

5. A shower head comprising: a housing provided with a web forming arestricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers,plug means adapted to be inserted into said throat, means forming waterpassages between said web and said plug means, said water passagescommunicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing anddirecting flow of water into streams which converge in the lower chamberof said housing, said lower chamber having side walls substantiallyparallel to said water passages which are substantially larger than theend walls of said chamber.

6. A shower head comprising: a housing provided with a web forming arestricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers,plug means adapted to be inserted into said throat, means forming waterpassages between said web and said plug means, said water passagescommunicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing anddirecting iiow of water into streams which converge in the lower chamberof said housing, said lower chamber having side walls substantiallyparaliel to said water passages which are substantially larger than theend walls of said chamber, and ribs `formed on each end wall of saidlower chamber.

7. A shower head comprising: a housing provided with a web forming arestricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers,plug means adapted to be inserted into said throat, means forming waterpassages between said web and said plug means, said water passagescommunicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing anddirecting flow of water into streams which converge in the lower chamberof said housing, and ribs in said upper chamber to center said plugmeans and direct an equal volume of water into each of said waterpassages, said lower chamber having side walls substantially parallel tosaid water passages which are substantially larger than the end walls ofsaid chamber.

8. A shower head comprising: a housing provided with a web forming arestricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers,plug means adapted to be inserted intosaid throat, means forming waterpassages between said web and said plug means, said water passagescommunicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing anddirecting ow of Water into Streams which converge in the lower chamberof said housing, ribs in said upper chamber to center said plug meansand direct an equal volume of water into each of said water passages,said lower chamber having side walls substantially parallel to saidWater passages which are substantially larger than the end walls of saidchamber, and ribs formed on each end wall of said lower` chamber.

9. A shower head comprising: a housing provided with a transverse webdividing said housing into upper and lower chambers, means forming waterpassages communicating between said upper and lower chambers, said waterpassages directing Water into streams which converge in said lowerchamber, said lower chamber having side walls substantially parallel tosaid water passages which are substantially longer than the end walls ofsaid lower chamber.

10. A shower head comprising; a housing provided with a web forming arestricted throat dividing said housing into upper and lower chambers,plug means adapted to be inserted into said throat, means forming waterpassages between said web and said plug means, said water passagescommunicating between the upper and lower chambers of said housing anddirecting iiow of water into streams which converge in the lower chamberof said housing, said lower chamber having side walls substantiallyparallel to said water passages which are substantially larger than theend walls of said chamber, said side walls of the lower chamber havingarcuate bevels in the lower portion thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 200,376 Daughtrey Feb. 19, 1878 442,762 Wainwright Dec. 16,1890 1,173,279 Kinney Feb. 29, 1916 1,895,307 Beck Jan. 24, 19331,919,027 Klotzman July 18, 1933 2,235,258 Jones Mar. 18, 1941 2,396,449Wahlin Mar. 12, 1946 2,605,144 Northup July 29, '1952 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 577,048 Germany May 24, 1933 635,281 Germany Sept.14, 1936

